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One Step at a Time
Chapter Nine was released at the beginning of the Endurance week. Our band now has a direction and purpose, but much distance to cover and the terrain is not going to ease their travels. Will they reach the Mountains of Fire? Or, will they not be able to endure the hardship of the Great Swamps of BattleMoor? The Story: One Step at a Time As you gather the little that is usable off the bodies of the Relentless Dead and prepare yourself for the next phase of your journey, you begin to think back on all of the stories of the Temple Priestesses you've heard over the years. They are the most famous guild of necromancers to ever practice the dark art in BattleMoor. It is said they combine fire magic with dark magic which is why the eyes of the Relentless Dead glow bright red. ' '''A match for any army, they never appear on the battlefield, but rather cast their spells from the safety of their well guarded and hidden temples. Extremely wealthy from their days healing the rulers of BattleMoor, they have connections to all races both good and evil. From recent events, it appears they have been drawn more toward the later. ' '''The first fireworks display to ever grace a BattleMoor celebration was performed by The High Priestess Cardya. Unfortunately for all, her younger sister Lacticya took control of the order when Cardya fell mysteriously ill. It is said Lacticya pivoted the order away from its healing ways. Instead of studying salves and remedies, they began studying poisons and acids. Fueled by the desire to see her mother and father again, Lacticya plunged the order into the necromantic arts. However, unlike the study of other magics, there is no way to flush necromancy from your system. Over time, the buildup can alter the practitioner until they barely resemble their former selves. As you step off the sand, your foot sinks into tar-like mud. You look up and before you, as far as you can see, lay the great swamps of BattleMoor. Desolate, dark, with a slight sulfuric smell and a greenish smog that hangs just above your head, these swamps have swallowed castles, devoured giants, engulfed armies and are said to be a living entity unto itself. In the far distance you can just make out what appear to be mountains. Maybe it's just the early dawn light, but they appear to glow red from this distance. Could it be an illusion? Are the Mountains of Fire actually made of fire? At that moment, Manesh jumps down from the sandy dune above and the splash of mud that hits your face snaps you out of your ridiculous train of thought. You look up to see a huge smile on Manesh's face. Have you seen him smile before? It's not as frightening as you thought it would have been. He has his massive sword in one hand, resting on his shoulder. He slaps you on the back. "Let's go! These swamps won't cross themselves!" ''' '''So much for the clean dry clothes! After what could only have been a few hours, everything is wet again. Not only wet, but there is a dampness that seeps into your skin. The weight of the mud on your clothes adds to the discomfort of every step and the bugs have taken a liking to the fresh meat that is now trouncing through their land. "One step at a time," you remind yourself. You look ahead and Manesh seems unfazed. He seems to move easily through the terrain and all the while carrying the biggest sword you've ever seen. How are you only noticing this now? "Manesh," you call out, "don't you ever get tired of carrying that huge sword around? I don't think I've ever seen a larger sword." "Ha, this is nothing," he replies. "You should see the swords I grew up training with!" Manesh goes on to recount the size and exact measurements of the training weapons he grew up practicing with and how by training with the oversized weapons, his actual weapon feels light and almost small. His enthusiasm makes you smile. "Truth be told, and I don't like to brag, I could fight with this all day." he says as he flips the blade effortlessly in the air and catches it again without breaking stride, "My people train to endure endless battles. You stop swinging your sword, you die." As night begins to fall again, a trumpet blast sounds from the east. There's a long pause as the sound carries through the fog and across the open land. Frozen, waiting, your ears strain to hear something more. And then again, but this time it comes in three short bursts. This time, you feel the sound deep in your heart. There are elephants in these swamps...but why? The Workout: If two opponents are equally matched, endurance can play a key roll in deciding who gets to walk away the victor. ' '''How long can you perform the simple task of sitting? Can you sit in a chair without leaning back or using an arm rest for an hour? For two hours? Many of us are required to sit all day long and as result our posture deteriorates by the end of the day. ' '''What if you could practice your endurance while at work? Tighten your core, lengthen your spine, elevate, retract and then release your shoulders and breathe. Now time yourself. When you notice you've collapsed (and you will! AND THAT IS OKAY), make a note of how long you were able to maintain the posture and then reset. This week we are focusing on high reps over high weight. We are going for duration, not bulk. Your muscles may feel heavy, you may think 20 reps is too many for you to perform or that 90 seconds is way too long to sustain. That's okay. Take it one rep at a time. If you think you can't go on, think of Manesh's smile and do another rep.